The Year of the Locust

By: Terry Hayes

Narrated by: Jeff Harding

Brought to you by Penguin.

A Financial Times Best Thriller of the Year 2023

If, like Kane, you're a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, then boundaries have no meaning. Your function is to go in, do whatever is required, and get out again - by whatever means necessary. You know when to run, when to hide - and when to shoot.

But some places don't play by the rules. Some places are too dangerous, even for a man of Kane's experience. The badlands where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet are such a place - a place where violence is the only way to survive.

Kane travels there to exfiltrate a man with vital information for the safety of the West - but instead he meets an adversary who will take the world to the brink of extinction. A frightening, clever, vicious man with blood on his hands and vengeance in his heart...

‘Utterly gripping, elegantly written... most definitely worth the wait’ Observer
'Epic and immersive, new and unexpected... deep and compelling' Mail on Sunday
'Compare this with the thrillers written by Mr or Mrs Clinton, and you come away feeling that Hayes is the one who has more inside knowledge' Telegraph

Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024

©2023 Terry Hayes (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Worth the wait... an often captivating, mass-market adventure story that's mostly more treat than trick (James Owen)

Compare this with the thrillers written by Mr or Mrs Clinton, and you come away feeling that Hayes is the one who has more inside knowledge (Jake Kerridge)

'[Hayes] is brilliant at action and military technology' (John Dugdale)

Epic and immersive, new and unexpected, and his research into spycraft is deep and compelling

Brilliant on the way agents operate and how the US spies on the world

Compelling, nerve-jangling and breathlessly exciting... Totally immersive

An absolutely nail biter of a thriller

Move over Jason Bourne. CIA operative Kane redefines the smart but vulnerable bad ass super spy in this dazzling cat-and-mouse thriller where the entire globe is a chessboard, and everyone’s playing for keeps (Lisa Gardner)

Has all the cinematic sweep and verve as Hayes' debut... just as enthralling

With vivid descriptions, some terrific action sequences and lashings of suspense, the book ticks all the boxes necessary for a superior geopolitical thriller

What a story

Great book. Twists and turns you can’t even describe. Wish I could wipe my memory and listen again

The narrator's voice was incredible. Love Terry Hayes books. There are many twists and turns. Loved the intrigue

Loved the book. Fantastically read. Enjoyed the descriptions by the author. The aithor does a lot of research whoch makes the story so much more believeable.

Just amazing, gripping story

Really engaging, thoroughly enjoyed this follow on from I Am Pilgrim. Easy to listen to and great it so long

New book from hayes

I thought it was a good story. A little strange throughout the middle but was worth a listen

The time travel

Story completely off the charts with the time travel interlude. Almost aborted the book at that stage as it plunged from harsh reality into some far fetched BS. Happy to have persevered as it all made for a very entertaining story. I see many complaints about the narrator. He may be an acquired taste but in my opinion delivers an outstanding performance.